If speed of rotation of the earth increases, the weight of the body?
decreases
The correct answer is that the weight of a body decreases if the speed of rotation of the Earth increases.
This is because the weight of a body is the net force experienced by the body due to gravity and the centrifugal force. The centrifugal force is an outward force experienced by a body rotating in a circle. This force is directed away from the axis of rotation. As the Earth rotates, any object on its surface experiences this centrifugal force.
The formula for centrifugal force is \(F_c = m\omega^2r\), where \(m\) is the mass of the object, \(\omega\) is the angular velocity (related to the speed of rotation), and \(r\) is the distance from the axis of rotation. If the speed of Earth's rotation (\(\omega\)) increases, the centrifugal force also increases. Since the centrifugal force acts opposite to the gravitational force, an increase in centrifugal force leads to a decrease in the net downward force, which we perceive as weight. Therefore, the apparent weight of the body decreases.
In simpler terms, imagine yourself standing on a spinning merry-go-round. As it spins faster (increased \(\omega\)), you feel pushed outwards (increased \(F_c\)). This outward push counteracts the downward force of gravity, making you feel lighter. The Earth's rotation is analogous to this, though much slower. An increased rotational speed would increase the centrifugal force experienced by a body and therefore reduce its apparent weight.
Similar Questions
When did Henry Cavendish report the measurement of the gravitational constant with the mass and density of the Earth?
At which of the following place, the weight of an object is maximum?
Who among the following is credited with postulating three laws of planetary motion?
Who among the following was the first to conclude that in vacuum all objects fall with the same acceleration g and reach the ground at the same time?
Important Questions from Gravity
Which of the following statement is correct?
I. Gravitation is a weak force unless large masses are involved.
II. The weight is equal to the product of mass and acceleration due to gravity.
What is the reason that the value of g (acceleration due to gravity) becomes greater at the poles than at the equator?
If the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of earth is g, then the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of a planet whose mass is same as that of earth and radius is twice as that of earth is ___________.
A man's mass is 72 kg on the earth. His mass on the moon will be:
At which of the following place, weight of an object is maximum?
